Friday, February 14, 2014

Tesla S in Siberia feels OK

Last summer Konstantin Gorohov from Barnaul bought a Tesla S, which was the first electric car in Siberia at that time. Despite the lack of infrastructure and service stations, he has been using the car daily, charging it at his home.

Tesla S in Barnaul, Siberia. Photo: Anastasiya Golenok

Winter brought doubts: how would the batteries perform at -30C? The owner worried that the LCD display would freeze and door handles won't extend. However, the only thing that stopped working after 12-hour stay at -30C was the kineticenergy recovery system that charges the battery during braking. The owner says that during winter he charges his Tesla S every other day for 8 hours using a standard 220V outlet. In summer, it's enough to charge the car once a week. The charge lasts for 500 km.